UK Police Arrest 10 Climate Activists Blocking Highway in Essex

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The UK police said on Friday that they have arrested 10 Insulate Britain activists blocking the M25 highway in the county of Essex in eastern England after a tip-off.

"We have acted quickly to make arrests and minimize disruption on the M25 this morning, Friday 29 October. Officers responded swiftly to remove people from the road between J28 & 29. Both carriageways reopened within 30 minutes. Ten have been arrested," Essex Police said on Twitter.

The local police said they got a call around 8 a.m. (07:00 GMT) with reports that a group of people had walked into the traffic to block carriageways between Junctions 28 and 29.

Essex Chief Inspector Lee Devall said in a press release that officers "will continue to deal with these incidents robustly."

Insulate Britain emerged out of a larger environmental group, Extinction Rebellion, and has been staging disruptions at major British roads since September in September. On Monday, a UK court temporarily prohibited Insulate Britain from protesting at roads considered "strategic" for England. This includes the M25 highway encircling Greater London which the climate movement has declared a "place of nonviolent civil resistance."

The environmental movement has claimed that 8,500 deaths in an average British winter are the result of cold homes and called on the government to enact policy and funding for a national home insulation program, starting with all social housing.